Big thank yous to every one who read the last chapter. I have more than 50 followers and more than 20 favs. I am grateful for all of you. You've all made this is my most popular story. Hugs and kisses for all of you.
This was a hard chapter to write. I wanted it to be good. Lately I've been going through some things in my personal life that have put me off my game but my life is back to normal now and I'm getting my swing back.
Chapter 3 Living In A Post Russel Edgington World
Eric
Sometimes I really hated my life. Here I am trying to be a regular citizen, run a bar, pay my taxes and I have protestors outside my establishment every night and graffiti marring the facade of my business.
I also have the AVL and my king crawling up my ass making sure I'm toeing the party line. My king in particular is looking for any excuse to stake me. I am in a very precarious position right now and I'm doing everything and anything I have to to stay alive. Right now that means playing ball with these animals as much as it disgusts me, but if I want to live I have to play their game.
Overall its not a bad plan to win back the people. I may have my moments of being a homicidal manic but mostly I just want to live my life. I've come to the point where I do not need to be cruel to enjoy myself, there are other things besides brutality and it always comes back to bite you in the ass when you do shit like that.
That being said when I do something I only consider myself and the effect that action will have on me, I care for very few people in this world and I honestly don't care about hurting people to get what I want. It may not be nice or politically correct but I'm not a nice guy, even if I often manage to convince people that I am.
Today that's my job, convincing people that I'm NOT the monster hiding under the bed. It sounds hilarious but that's the AVL's plan. Have them see us as people instead of monsters and hopefully avoid war. War may be fun but its not good for anyone and a war against vampires will only provoke us and we'll end up killing a lot of humans, too many. Bad for us, very bad. Bad for them too and for what?
Nan wants our help with the AVL's new agenda, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be her dancing monkey. Nan wants a vampire to sit pretty and do her stupid commercial but instead of doing it myself I tell my progeny Pam to do it. I have other things I need to be doing, like keeping my freaking bar afloat.
*Forgetting*
I spent some time trying to ignore the obnoxious noise those bumbling idiots are making in the main bar area, even through several layers of soundproofing. WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE IDIOTS DOING TO MY GODDAMN BAR?!
I tried to focus on my work but it was an exercise in futility. I couldn't block out the obnoxious noise, the more I tried the more my imagination ran away with me as I began to imagine the horrible scenarios that would be required to create such noises.
Finally I just couldn't fucking take it anymore. I had to go out there and either stop them or help them, anything to get those assholes out of my bar. Bursting out into the main bar area at vampire speed I came across the most comical performance of my progeny Pam's career.
She had the most bored/annoyed look on her face as she was trying to convince humans that vampire owned businesses were safe for humans. It would have been fine if the commercial was going to be aired on the radio but unfortunately this spot was going on television and her grim attitude simply would not do.
Nan seemed to be thinking the same thing based on the exacerbated look on her face. She barked out, "CUT!" to Pam and the small army of people who were bumbling about. She continued in a tone to match her previous look, "Is there anyone here who can play this game?" Seeing me she barked, "Mr. Northman how nice of you to join us. Why don't you show us how it's done."
I walked over to Pam and removed the device that recorded her voice from where it was clipped to her blouse. Pinning it to my own shirt I motioned for her to get out of the chair. When she did so I sat in her place. Plastering a huge, friendly smile on my face I turned to the camera and spoke in a calm even tone, "I am a tax paying American with by own business. I also happen to be a vampire..."
I talked about everything from how we guarantee the safety of all our clients to how I don't enjoy seeing things escalate to violence in my environment every bit as much as they do. I told many lies but most of them I blended with elements of truth so they would seem more believable. Mostly I said what the humans needed to hear to assure them and was exceedingly charming.
When I was done Nan was pleased with my work though her expression didn't sow it. I wasn't expecting gratitude from her. She looked annoyed that the process had taken so long, she was a busy woman with shit to do. I could relate but did she care about the inconvenience to me? No she didn't. At least she got what she came for and hopefully the spot would serve its intended purpose.
I didn't think one commercial was going to win the hearts of America but hopefully it would get through to some of them. Good pr would only go so far but hopefully would help to reverse some of the damage done by Russel's little stunt. It wouldn't happen overnight but with any luck and no more slaughtered reporters on live television things would die down eventually.
I continued to smile as I walked Miss Flanagan to the door only a few assistants followed her out. The rest stayed behind to pack up their equipment. The crew was local so they weren't in much of a hurry to get out of my way.
Nan was whining to me about having bigger problems than Shreveport. I wasn't listening though, I really didn't care how the protests were inconveniencing her. I shut the door behind her and turned to the task of getting her remaining minions out of my establishment.
However upon talking to some of them I discovered that they planned to put their equipment away and come back to enjoy an evening at my bar, it seemed that they were charmed by the place and wanted to repay me for enduring Nan with sch good spirit.
Nan arrived an hour after sunset and thankfully left in time for us to open at our usual time. I supervised the camera crew as they packed up their equipment and moved it to their van outside.
When they were done they returned and grabbed themselves a table. It wasn't quite time for us to be open but I let it slide, what was I going to do? Make them wait outside until it reached the time our sign says we open? Besides it was usually quite slow when we first opened, it was nice to have a large group so early.
After I saw to their comfort I went to my office and returned to the paperwork I'd been trying to do earlier.
*Forgetting*
I was making good progress when Pam came into my office with Bill behind her. Today really wasn't my day. First that harpy who ran our public relations now my king is coming to bust my already bruised balls.
Bill sat int the seat in front of my desk without me offering it to him. After he made himself comfortable I asked if there was anything I could get him. I could at least try to be pleasant. Bill and I are not very fond of each other and he didn't come here to have a casual conversation. This was business and it just pissed me off. I'd had enough of that shit today and I was maxed out on the amount of political bullshit I could handle.
After my failed attempt at being civil we sat looking at each other in silence. Other than an offer of blood it was not polite to speak until Bill had begun the conversation. So I waited for him to speak, finally he did.
"You may be wondering why I'm here. Let me assure you that you are not in trouble of any kind. I simply want to see how you're doing. I am pleased that you cooperated with Miss Flanagan so fully. As you are aware protesters are springing up everywhere disrupting our way of life, making it very hard to mainstream and live our lives as we see fit. This situation is affecting vampires everywhere and it is my duty as king to ensure that my subjects are thriving."
"My area has experienced this phenomenon. My business as you have seen has its share of protestors but the ones you see out there are not violent for the most part. People are more distrustful of us now but it hasn't really affected my business much. The humans who are drawn here are more accepting of us in general. What I worry about is if this doesn't let up. Vampires are dying at the hands of humans, for now they understand that war must be avoided at all costs but if this continues they will start retaliating. I personally am not particularly angered by the humans but others do not share my apathy about this situation. Many of those who want us to fight back are those who did not want us to reveal our existence in the first place. They want to put the humans in their place."
"So the situation is precarious, volatile even?"
"Not here specifically. The current situation has been bad for business but not that bad. Others however do feel that they are in danger of being attacked by humans and they won't stand for it. If we're going to change public opinion back in our favor we need to clean up our act. No vampire on human violence."
"Well that doesn't seem very likely to happen but I see your point. So everything is running smoothly here?"
"Yes my liege, my business is quite lucrative. My customers are being harassed by the protesters outside but so far nothing has gotten too out of control yet."
"That is certainly good to hear. This is a difficult time for our kind, it is good that at least one of my vampires isn't too disrupted by all this. However there is one last thing, I understand that you bought Sookie's house. Is there anything I can do to convince you to sell it to me?"
"No."
"Would you consider selling it back to her?"
"This matter is none of your business. I did this to protect Sookie, I will not do any such thing."
Even he understood that our meeting was over after that. Pam came in shortly after Bill's departure. I told her that I was going to ground early. She asked me if I wanted a donor sent to me. I told her that I would have a True Blood. After the night I'd had a donor, even a willing one was too much for me to want to deal with.
I went down to the basement and began preparing my spare coffin for sleep. I didn't want to get blood on my coffin so when I received my meal I sat on the concrete to consume it. Finishing the bottle I set it own on the floor and moved to my coffin. Settling inside I made myself comfortable and tried to relax. I drifted and was asleep before I knew it. Soon after the pull of the sun took me and I was dead to the world.
Next time we're back with Sookie as she tries to put her life back together, piece by peice.